Rep. Deal quits Congress to devote fulltime to Ga. governor's race

Rep. Nathan Deal told supporters in Georgia today that he is resigning from Congress "to devote my full energies to the campaign for governor."

In remarks at Gainesville Civic Center, the nine-term Republican quoted from the Bible ("to every thing there is a season"), touted his experience and criticized the Obama administration in making his announcement.

I'm leaving Congress because I've had a front row seat to the damage that inexperience in the executive branch of the federal government has done to our nation ... a growing debt that will bankrupt our children's future, an ever increasing grasp by government that snatches away our freedom, and an effort to bargain away the rights of our state for a few crumbs of federal tax dollars that are packaged as stimulus.My experience has prepared me to be a governor who understands these dangers. This is not a time for untested leadership in the governor's office. The economic future of our state is in peril. I am committed and ready to serve this great state.

Deal, 67, came to Washington as a Democrat. He switched parties in April 1995. He has not faced a serious primary since then and his seat is considered safe by the Cook Political Report. The governor's race, however, is rated a tossup by Cook.

The governor's field in Georgia includes seven Republicans, including Deal, and five Democrats. Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, cannot run for a third term. A Feb. 22 Rasmussen Reports survey showed that three of the top four Republican candidates are ahead of former Democratic governor Roy Barnes, who is running for his old seat and is considered most likely to win his party's nomination.

Updated at 1:18 p.m. ET.The Gainesville Times says that Deal's resignation takes effect March 8. The paper also says Perdue is expected to set an April 13 date for a special election to fill the remainder of Deal's term.

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About Catalina Camia

Catalina Camia leads the OnPolitics online community and has been at USA TODAY since 2005. She has been a reporter or editor covering politics and Congress for two decades, including stints at The Dallas Morning News and Congressional Quarterly. Follow her at @USATOnPolitics.